Flavorful chunks of elk meat, tender potatoes, carrots, softened onions, all in a rich flavorful broth. The perfect meal if you’re asking me! This hearty elk stew is an all in one simple, flavorful meal.
We have a lot of elk meat in our freezer right now from an elk that my husband harvested last year. Elk is my new favorite red meat, think milder than venison but more flavorful than beef. It’s just absolutely delicious and nothing else compares. Of course, if you do not have elk meat you can substitute with beef or venison.
How to Make Elk Stew
Elk stew requires simple and common ingredients that you probably already have. Here is what you’ll need:
- elk meat cut into small bite sized pieces
- butter
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- salt
- onions
- fresh garlic
- bay leaf
- worcestershire sauce
- beef broth
- potatoes
- carrots
- frozen or canned peas (optional)
- cornstarch
Elk stew is a very flexible recipe once you get the basics down. Like canned tomatoes or green beans? Add them in! I like to thicken my broth at the end of the cooking time with cornstarch. My mom likes to coat her meat in flour and the seasoning before browning it to thicken the stew. I like the cornstarch method because you can add more until its thickened to your liking.
Sear the Meat
When you sear your meat, be sure to add a single layer of the meat at a time without crowding it. Let the elk cook a while before stirring. This will ensure that it gets a more flavorful sear on it instead of steaming. Remove the first batch of meat and repeat until all the meat is seared. Reduce the heat to low.
Sautee Onions and Carrots
After you brown the meat, there will be some brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add your chopped onions and garlic to the pan with more of the butter and some salt. Put a lid on the pan and let the onions and garlic cook a few minutes. Stir them occasionally while scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits on the bottom.
Simmer Meat Until Tender
Add your beef broth, worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. Simmer meat about 45 minutes with a lid on or until tender. This time will vary depending on the cut of elk you are using.
Lastly, add your cut up carrots and potatoes. If you wish to add any other vegetables put them in at this point as well. Simmer on low about 30 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender. Taste the stew and add more salt to your liking. If you want to thicken the broth, mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch with 1/4 cup of cold water. Pour slowly into the simmering stew while stirring. I do not add it all at once, I pour in about half of it and wait to see if it’s thick enough for my liking. This stew is wonderful served with my Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread.
Elk Stew
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1.5 pounds elk stew meat
- 2 teaspoons salt (divided)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 medium sweet onions (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups beef broth (1 quart)
- 1 bay leaf
- 4-5 medium russet or gold potatoes (chopped)
- 1 can green peas (optional)
- 5 carrots (peeled and diced)
- 2 tablespoons cornstartch
- 1/4 cup cool water
Instructions
- Season the meat with 1.5 teaspoons salt, the garlic powder, and the onion powder.
- Heat a dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter.
- Brown the meat in batches. Be sure to add only one layer at a time and avoid stirring until you can see that the meat is searing on the bottom. Place meat onto a plate and continue to brown the meat in batches. Reduce the heat to low.
- After the meat is all browned, add your chopped onion and garlic to the pan along with 2 tablespoons of the butter and 1/2 tsp salt. Place a lid on the pan and allow to cook 3-5 minutes. Stir occasionally while scraping the browned bits of the bottom of the pan.
- Add back in your browned meat, the bay leaf, worcestershire sauce, and the beef broth.
- Simmer the meat and broth on low about 45 minutes until the meat is tender. This time could vary depending on the cut of elk you are using.
- After the meat is tender, add your diced potatoes and carrots to the pot. If you would like to add any other vegetables, add them at this point as well.
- Simmer on medium/low about 25-30 minutes until the carrots are tender.
- If you would like to thicken the stew, mix the cornstarch with the water in a small cup. With the stew still simmering, pour about half of the cornstarch mixture into the stew while stirring. If you would like the stew to be thicker, continue adding until it has thickened to your liking. Remove bay leaf before serving and enjoy!